1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector having at least one detachable spacer to lock electrical terminals inserted in terminal-receiving cavities to prevent the terminals from being pulled out of the connector housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical connectors having detachable spacers are known in the art. In one typical application a detachable spacer is provisionally inserted in a connector in the space defined between a top wall of the housing and the terminal receiving cavity. Terminals are then inserted into the terminal receiving cavities passing under the overlying spacer to the final terminal mounting position. The spacer is then moved forward until it has reached the final spacer mounting position locking the terminals in place.
One example of such locking spacer used with an electrical connector is proposed in Japanese Utility Model Application, Public Disclosure No. 63-56573.
The detachable spacer has a plurality of resilient latching arms extending from its base and two locking projections extending from each side of the spacer. The connector housing has two slots on each side wall adapted to receive the two locking projections of the spacer. First, the spacer is moved into the housing until the locking projection on each side of the spacer has been engaged by the respective slot of each side wall of the housing. This constitutes the spacer's primary mounting position. The terminals are then inserted into the terminal cavities while abutting the resilient arms of the overlying spacer until the terminals reach the final terminal-mounting position. Thereafter, the spacer is moved to its final spacer-mounting position at which time the latching arms apply a pushing force to the terminals locking the terminals in the housing. In this final spacer-mounting position the two locking projections of each side of the spacer are engaged by the two slots of each side wall of the housing. To remove the spacer from the housing, it is necessary to expand, with the aid of a tool, the two opposite side walls of the housing wide enough to allow the two locking projections of each side of the spacer to be released from the slots in each side wall of the housing. After the spacer is removed from the housing, the terminals may also be removed.
The above described connector has the following disadvantages:
First, the terminals are subjected to a force applied by the latching arms of the overlying spacer while being inserted into the connector housing until they have reached the final terminal-mounting position, and therefore it is possible that the terminals may not be fully seated in the terminal-receiving cavities.
Second, because each of the latching arms of the spacer are not independently latched to the connector housing but rather the base of the spacer is locked to the housing, the terminal holding force of each locking arm mounted in the housing depends on the number of terminals mounted in the housing.
Third, a tool is required to expand the connector housing to release the locking projections of the spacer from the two slots in each side wall of the housing allowing removal of the spacer from the connector housing.